Do dentists generally have a healthy diet?

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TanMan

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Do dental students and dentists have a lot of discipline when it comes to their diet? I ponder this question as I think about my diet in dental school and now, and how my colleagues ate back then and still do.

For the older dentists out there, do you ever regret not eating more bad/unhealthy stuff while you can during your younger years? I have this regret that I can't eat as much as I used to, but then again, portion sizes don't seem as big as they used to either. I miss food competitions and buffets.

Pic related. 2 Arby's Meat Mountains and a root beer float for dinner. They aren't as big as they used to be.

meat mountain - Copy.jpg
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Honestly I've been struggling quite a bit with maintaining a good diet, esp since the pandemic and now in residency.

I guess this isn't quite the point of your thread lol but do people have tips on maintaining motivation for healthy eating?

Its so easy just to stop somewhere and pick up food just like your Arby's vs cooking healthy food at home but I know it is not good for my health. I gained quite a bit of weight in d school as well 🙁
 
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PerioDont said:
Honestly I've been struggling quite a bit with maintaining a good diet, esp since the pandemic and now in residency.

I guess this isn't quite the point of your thread lol but do people have tips on maintaining motivation for healthy eating?

Its so easy just to stop somewhere and pick up food just like your Arby's vs cooking healthy food at home but I know it is not good for my health. I gained quite a bit of weight in d school as well 🙁
Click to expand...
Download a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal. It’s pretty eye-opening when you see the numbers and u start to treat calories like currency.
 
marry a girl and let her cook all your meals for you and let her make you take the daily lunch box she packages for you in heavy glass container (note Tupperware plastic is not healthy) that itself is half the weight of your backpack.

TLDR: my wife flip my diets 360 degree and I am now eating fast food like once a month. Before it was 2 fast food runs a week, instant noodle, just oven chicken and beef or anything I can make within 20 min.

I don't usually work out much but I get less tired and feel I have more endurance after long day at work
 
Once I got a slow cooker, I saw my diet improve a lot because I was cooking in bulk and didnt feel temptation to get any takeout. Cooking high protein meals such as beef stew or chicken and packing that made things way easier and less time consuming cooking wise! I have very little patience when it comes to standing over a stove, so it worked out great. Instantpot is another good choice!
 
PerioDont said:
Honestly I've been struggling quite a bit with maintaining a good diet, esp since the pandemic and now in residency.

I guess this isn't quite the point of your thread lol but do people have tips on maintaining motivation for healthy eating?

Its so easy just to stop somewhere and pick up food just like your Arby's vs cooking healthy food at home but I know it is not good for my health. I gained quite a bit of weight in d school as well 🙁
Click to expand...
Be lazy and pick 1 simple thing to eat for a specific meal slot (breakfast, lunch, dinner), that way you know you are in a caloric deficit for at least part of the day. Ex: breakfasts are only eggs, or only a protein shake, or only a protein bar, just fruit, etc etc. Makes staying under the caloric threshold super easy because once you decide on 1 thing it is easy to stay consistent. Also, stop adding in any calories through drinks, ie, no soda, only black coffee.
 
Blueshirts said:
Be lazy and pick 1 simple thing to eat for a specific meal slot (breakfast, lunch, dinner), that way you know you are in a caloric deficit for at least part of the day. Ex: breakfasts are only eggs, or only a protein shake, or only a protein bar, just fruit, etc etc. Makes staying under the caloric threshold super easy because once you decide on 1 thing it is easy to stay consistent. Also, stop adding in any calories through drinks, ie, no soda, only black coffee.
Click to expand...
This is great advice. I do this along with intermittent fasting. Skip breakfast every day, eat the same thing for lunch ~500 cals, and then eat whatever I feel like for dinner. As long I minimize/eliminate snacking this really helps me to meet my caloric goals. Having that freedom for dinner makes me feel like I'm not limiting myself and forcing myself to eat things that I don't want to.
 
When the wife is in:

This was our last Chinese New Year dinner. I appreciate food from all over the world. Fortunately in the Pacific NW other than the 118 degree heat, we have access to many ethnic foods. I'm 50 and pre-diabetic so I need to count processed carbs like currency as 8_man mentioned.

P_20190204_175058_vHDR_Auto.jpg
 
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The only thing I can add .... is all you younger guys and gals. Have fun eating whatever you want .... for now. Indulge.

As I've grown older ..... my diet changes daily on what I can eat or not eat. My stomach will let me know ASAP if a certain food type will be added to my growing list of foods to avoid.

My diet. High fiber oatmeal with berries in the morning. No eggs or bacon. Sandwiches with no cheese (I'm lactose intolerant) and no condiments. Just lean meat and spinach leaves, black olives, black pepper. No soda. The carbonic acid just kills me. I drink mostly water.

I stay away from all fried, greasy foods. Mostly because I'll pay the price if I eat these foods.

Luckily my wife is an exceptional cook. She knows what I can eat and not eat. She cooks mostly healthy meals.

Lean and mean.
 
Most people are better off for avoiding the terrible foods that make up the average diet today, at any age. I feel best when I eat healthy and have a healthy body. I don’t like having 10 minutes of “mouth pleasure” then feeling terrible till my next hit.
Once you break out of the corporate food matrix that has been made to trap you, take your money, and destroy your health you will detox and appreciate how terrible it tastes and how good real food is.
 
2TH MVR said:
The only thing I can add .... is all you younger guys and gals. Have fun eating whatever you want .... for now. Indulge.

As I've grown older ..... my diet changes daily on what I can eat or not eat. My stomach will let me know ASAP if a certain food type will be added to my growing list of foods to avoid.

My diet. High fiber oatmeal with berries in the morning. No eggs or bacon. Sandwiches with no cheese (I'm lactose intolerant) and no condiments. Just lean meat and spinach leaves, black olives, black pepper. No soda. The carbonic acid just kills me. I drink mostly water.

I stay away from all fried, greasy foods. Mostly because I'll pay the price if I eat these foods.

Luckily my wife is an exceptional cook. She knows what I can eat and not eat. She cooks mostly healthy meals.

Lean and mean.
Click to expand...
You shouldn't leave out Prune Juice.
 
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Dental school was great... indian buffets and 2 pc (x4) Tuesdays @ popeyes and sharing a gallon of ice tea. I love being in fat@ss mode, but I'm afraid my body is going to give up one of these days and I'll start gaining weight.

These days... I can't eat as much either. I cook mostly everyday unless I'm craving something (but I only have 1 meal a day on workdays due to breakfast and lunch making me sluggish). Kinda like a Taco Bell run at 4am after a night of drinking and regretting it immediately after you eat it, but hey, it gets rid of the craving.

Nothing beats a good steak at 36000 feet, although they cooked it medium rather than medium rare 🙂. I have to fly to LA/vegas from time to time for good sushi.


a - Copy.jpgb - Copy.jpgc - Copy.jpgd - Copy.jpg
 
"Healthy Cooking Made Easy: How To Succeed Without Really Trying!
By Jeff Novick, MS, RD"
Wayback Machine

Novick designed a variety of evidence-based, healthy recipes based on a template that can be prepared, from start to finish, in about 10-20 minutes for a full day of food and costs about $5/person/day.

For those interested in lifestyle medicine, Novick and McDougall (John McDougall, MD) have a combined 50+ years of evidence-based, clinical experience in the diet and lifestyle sector, helping patients regain and maintain their health. I also find them impressive in that they make all of their information available for free.

Here's the free "How to Begin" series on the website's discussion forums, for anyone who wants to look more deeply into their work:

Novick mentions the Physicians' Health Study and Nurses' health study in this thread:

The thread outlines how poorly the US population is at following an evidence-based, healthy diet and lifestyle, and how we haven't really changed much in this regard over the last 20+ years.

So I would predict those on the dental side of things probably have similar characteristics. Generalists might have a more challenging time based on all the free lunches it sounds like they get from specialists and dental suppliers looking for business 😉

I hope that helps. Thanks for promoting awareness and for all the good that you do 🙂
 
Canned sardines specifically King Oscar for lunch. Convenient, low mercury unlike tuna, high omega fat, and pretty satisfying if paired with some carb like a banana afterwards. Some negative: high sodium (just don’t slurp up the olive oil/sauce), surrounding co-worker/classmate repellent, and post-lunch breath
 
Apramana said:
"Healthy Cooking Made Easy: How To Succeed Without Really Trying!
By Jeff Novick, MS, RD"
Wayback Machine

Novick designed a variety of evidence-based, healthy recipes based on a template that can be prepared, from start to finish, in about 10-20 minutes for a full day of food and costs about $5/person/day.

For those interested in lifestyle medicine, Novick and McDougall (John McDougall, MD) have a combined 50+ years of evidence-based, clinical experience in the diet and lifestyle sector, helping patients regain and maintain their health. I also find them impressive in that they make all of their information available for free.

Here's the free "How to Begin" series on the website's discussion forums, for anyone who wants to look more deeply into their work:

Novick mentions the Physicians' Health Study and Nurses' health study in this thread:

The thread outlines how poorly the US population is at following an evidence-based, healthy diet and lifestyle, and how we haven't really changed much in this regard over the last 20+ years.

So I would predict those on the dental side of things probably have similar characteristics. Generalists might have a more challenging time based on all the free lunches it sounds like they get from specialists and dental suppliers looking for business 😉

I hope that helps. Thanks for promoting awareness and for all the good that you do 🙂
Click to expand...
Plant based diets are not optimal for humans
 
yappy said:
Plant based diets are not optimal for humans
Click to expand...
While you're certainly entitled to your opinion, I would be interested in your sources.

I don't think I've encountered any major, reputable, evidence-based health organization that recommends something other than a plant-based diet, and that seems to have been the case for at least the last 20+ years, based on the evidence.

Here's the AND position statement:
"It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity. Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (all rich in fiber and phytochemicals) are characteristics of vegetarian and vegan diets that produce lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and better serum glucose control. These factors contribute to reduction of chronic disease. Vegans need reliable sources of vitamin B-12, such as fortified foods or supplements."
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets - PubMed

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Apramana said:
While you're certainly entitled to your opinion, I would be interested in your sources.

I don't think I've encountered any major, reputable, evidence-based health organization that recommends something other than a plant-based diet, and that seems to have been the case for at least the last 20+ years, based on the evidence.

Here's the AND position statement:
"It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity. Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (all rich in fiber and phytochemicals) are characteristics of vegetarian and vegan diets that produce lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and better serum glucose control. These factors contribute to reduction of chronic disease. Vegans need reliable sources of vitamin B-12, such as fortified foods or supplements."
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets - PubMed

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Click to expand...
You're not looking hard enough. The issue I have with plant based diet advocates is that they're ideologically driven. I don't trust that they're honest curating or funding studies. When discussing diet, most people wish to optimize their health efficiently and do not place environmental impact or the ethics of animal consumption as a primary concern. If you study our evolutionary history, people groups like those in the Mediterranean or Inuit, you’ll find that a diet that includes animals is healthy.
 
Last edited:
Apramana said:
While you're certainly entitled to your opinion, I would be interested in your sources.

I don't think I've encountered any major, reputable, evidence-based health organization that recommends something other than a plant-based diet, and that seems to have been the case for at least the last 20+ years, based on the evidence.

Here's the AND position statement:
"It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity. Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (all rich in fiber and phytochemicals) are characteristics of vegetarian and vegan diets that produce lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and better serum glucose control. These factors contribute to reduction of chronic disease. Vegans need reliable sources of vitamin B-12, such as fortified foods or supplements."
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets - PubMed

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Click to expand...
Junk.
 
DenTalFluoride said:
Canned sardines specifically King Oscar for lunch. Convenient, low mercury unlike tuna, high omega fat, and pretty satisfying if paired with some carb like a banana afterwards. Some negative: high sodium (just don’t slurp up the olive oil/sauce), surrounding co-worker/classmate repellent, and post-lunch breath
Click to expand...
Regarding mercury and tuna, what are your thoughts on this article?

And then here's a rebuttal article.

Nutrition is so confusing lol.
 
I tried ketogenic/intermittent fasting and was able to lose around 20lbs. I was not obese before but I wanted more definition. I found out that once you are fat adapted it is very easy to control craving/hunger. I have tried many different types of diet/calorie-restrictive diet and feel that keto/IF is easiest to maintain. I was never hungry and never watched my calorie intake. I now enjoy high carb food few days a week and still able to maintain my definition(over one year now)

I am 31 and in the best shape of my life (have a 6-pack). I do workout at 5 am 6 days a week though..
 
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